Ghana government to undertake aggressive testing for COVID-19

Dr Anthony Nsiah-Asare, the Presidential Advisor on Health, says the Risk Response and Social Mobilization Team would embark on aggressive testing for COVID-19 during the two weeks restriction of movement in ‘hotspot’ areas.

He said the team would take the health profiles of persons, addresses of residents and their travel history, with the objective of containing the horizontal and local spread of the Coronavirus.

He said anybody who has come into contact with infected persons would be tested and also move from home to home for testing.

Speaking at a media briefing to update the public on COVID-19 in Accra, Dr Nsiah-Asare said, countries like Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Germany undertook similar aggressive testing and yielded dividends.

He said the Response Risk and Social Mobilisation Team would work closely with the Contact Tracing Team to ensure a successful testing of residents in the restricted areas-Accra, Tema, Kasoa and Greater Kumasi.

He said those who would test positive for COVID-19 would be sent to isolation centres for treatment and assigned psychologists to them for counselling.

Dr Nsiah-Asare urged the public to continue observing the social distancing and safety protocols including covering of mouth when coughing and sneezing, frequent washing of hands with soap under running water, use of hand sanitizers, eat healthily and having enough sleep to boost the immune system.

He said all that government has been doing is intended to achieve five key objectives: limit and stop the importation of the virus, contain the spread of the virus, provide adequate care for the sick, limit the impact of the virus on social and economic lives; and inspire the expansion of domestic capability to deepen our self-reliance.

Ghana has confirmed 152 cases of COVID-19, with five deaths as of March 29.